Lighting unit structure and arrangement comprising a plurality of such structures

ABSTRACT

An arrangement of adjacently disposed lighting unit structures in which in each structure a member comprising part of a lighting element rigidly interconnects spaced end walls, the lighting element including a fluorescent lighting lamp or lamps which are supported by the member. Each end wall includes an inner wall portion together with side flange portions which project outwardly from the inner wall portion, the side flange portions of each end wall having outer edges which are secured in an airtight manner to the outer edges of the side flange portions of the adjacent end wall of the adjacently disposed, lighting unit structure. An air chamber is thus provided between these adjacent end walls, a ventilation air inlet to the air chamber being provided, and the inner wall portion of each end wall having a lower edge which is so disposed inwardly of the outer edges of the side flange portions of the end wall that a ventilation air outlet is thereby provided between the lower edge and the lower edge of the inner wall portion of the adjacent end wall of the adjacently disposed lighting unit structure.

United States Patent Shepherd [15] 3,654,849 1 Apr.1l,1972

i541 LIGHTING UNIT STRUCTURE AND ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OFSUCH STRUCTURES [72] inventor: Charles G. Shepherd, Oakville, Ontario,

Canada [73] Assignee: Wilson Lighting Limited, Toronto, On-

tario, Canada [22] Filed: Nov. 6, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 874,140

[52] U.S. Cl. ..98/40 DL, 52/28, 240/47 [51] lnt.Cl. ..I 21s 3/14 [58]Field of Search ..52/484, 28; 98/40 D, 40 DL,

[56] Relerences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,108,529 10/1963 Sweetser..98/40 DL 3,327,606 6/1967 Little et a1 ......98/40 D 3,401,623 9/1968Waeldner... ..98/40 DL 3,419,714 12/1968 Slauer ...98/40 DL X 3,426,1882/1969 Baranowskit... ..52/484 X 3,334,568 8/1967 Morrison ..98/40 DLPrimary Examiner-F rank L. Abbott Assistant Examiner-Henry E. RaduazoAttomey-Maybee and Legris 5 7] ABSTRACT An arrangement of adjacentlydisposed lighting unit structures in which in each structure a membercomprising part of a lighting element rigidly interconnects spaced endwalls, the lighting element including a fluorescent lighting lamp orlamps which are supported by the member. Each end wall includes an innerwall portion together with side flange portions which project outwardlyfrom the inner wall portion, the side flange portions of each end wallhaving outer edges which are secured in an air-tight manner to the outeredges of the side flange portions of the adjacent end wall of theadjacently disposed, lighting unit structure. An air chamber is thusprovided between these adjacent end walls, a ventilation air inlet tothe air chamber being provided, and the inner wall portion of each endwall having a lower edge which is so disposed inwardly of the outeredges of the side flange portions of the end wall that a ventilation airoutlet is thereby provided between the lower edge and the lower edge ofthe inner wall portion of the adjacent end wall of the adjacentlydisposed lighting unit structure.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 11 m2 SHEEI 1 [IF 2 INVIiN'IUK.CHARLES G. SHEPHERD BY% 7 fay ATTORNEYS PATENTEDAPR 11 1912 3,654,849

SHEEI 2 (1F 2 CHARLES G. SHEPHERD ATTORNEYS LIGHTING UNIT STRUCTURE ANDARRANGEMENT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SUCH STRUCTURES This invention isconcerned with a lighting unit structure, and with an arrangementcomprising a plurality of such structures which are adjacently disposedrelative to one another.

In many modern buildings, such as buildings which are specificallyintended to be used as, for example, commercial offices or schools, ithas been conventional practice to provide, at a spaced distance beloweach support deck, such as each flooring deck, a ceiling comprising asupport structure, the support structure being formed, for example, of aplurality of interconnected beams constituting a grid. The supportstructure, which may be suspended from the support deck, operativelysupports a plurality of adjacently disposed lighting units, such asfluorescent lighting units. It is, furthermore, conventional in suchconstructions to provide spaces between the adjacent ends of theadjacently disposed lighting units, air boots which constitutestructures defining air chambers being operatively positioned within atleast selected ones of said spaces. The air boots are each formed with aventilation air inlet through which air having the desired temperatureand humidity may be supplied to the air chamber from a suitably locatedsource of such air within the building by means, for example, ofinterconnecting ducting. Each air boot is also formed in the lowerportion thereof with a ventilation air outlet through which the airwhich is supplied to the air chamber in the above-described manner mayflow into the room space or the like below the ceiling constituted bythe support structure and lighting units.

In the constructions of the above-described type which have hithertobeen proposed and used the air boots have been constituted by structureswhich are entirely separate and distinct from the lighting unitstructures. A typical example of such a construction is that disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,499 which issued on Aug. 20, 1968 to Ward,particular reference being made to the construction illustrated in FIG.13 of this patent from which it will be noted that the air boot denotedby the reference numeral 184 constitutes an entirely separate anddistinct structure from the lighting unit structures each of whichincludes a base 28.

While such hitherto proposed and used constructions operatesatisfactorily, it is believed that these constructions areunnecessarily complex and it is accordingly a primary ob ject of thepresent invention to provide a lighting unit structure, and anarrangement comprising a plurality of such structures which areadjacently disposed relative to one another, in which the structure, oreach structure, is of considerably simplifled form and is henceconsiderably less expensive to manufacture and install, while stillachieving the advantages of the above-described hitherto proposed andused constructions, the air boot between adjacent lighting unitstructures in said arrangement being integrally formed with saidadjacent lighting unit structures.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and morereadily carried into effect the same will now, by way of example, bemore fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings inwhich;

FIG. I is a perspective view from above showing elements of a pluralityof adjacently disposed lighting units, some of the elements being brokenaway for clarity;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of one of the elementsincorporated in the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a side view in the direction of the arrow A of part of thearrangement illustrated in FIG. I, some of the elements again beingbroken away for clarity.

With reference to the drawings, 10 denotes generally each of twolighting unit structures, only the forward portion of the rear lightingunit structure I (as viewed in FIG. 1) being illustrated.

The lighting unit structures are substantially identical and eachcomprises spaced end walls which are denoted generally by the referencenumeral 11, and a member l2 which, in the preferred embodimentillustrated in the drawings, constitutes pan of a lighting element andcomprises a web portion 13, a pair of opposed, parallel limb portions 14and a pair of outwardly inclined flange portions 15, the portions 15being connected to the limb portions I4 through ledges 16.

As shown in FIG. 3, a closure plate 17 is secured to the undersides ofthe ledges 16 of each member 12, a lamp, which is preferably in the formof a fluorescent lighting lamp I8, being mounted on the underside of theplate 17. The plate 17 and the lamp 18 constitute further parts of theabove-mentioned lighting element. Although, in the preferred embodimentof the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the lightingelement in each structure 10 includes only one lamp 18 mounted on themember 12, it will be appreciated that, in alternative embodiments (notshown), a plurality of such lamps 18 may be so mounted.

The space bounded by the web and limb portions 13, 14 of each member 12and by the plate 17 operatively contains the ballast and other auxiliarycircuit elements of the lighting element. These circuit elements may beof conventional form. A translucent lens 19 is mounted on each member 12and is operatively retained in position by means of inwardly directededge portions 20 of the inclined flange portions 15.

Each end wall 11 comprises an inner wall portion 21 which is inwardlyinclined in an upward direction from the lower edge 22 thereof, and sideflange portions 23 which project outwardly from the inner wall portion21.

In each structure 10 the member 12 rigidly interconnects the associatedend walls 11 by means of, for example, bolts 24 between the inclinedflange portions 15 of the member 12 and the side flange portions 23 ofthe end walls 11.

The side flange portions 23 of each end wall 11 have outer edgesconstituted by upstanding ribs 25 which are secured, in a substantiallyair-tight manner, to the upstanding ribs 25 of the side flange portions23 of the adjacent end wall 11 of an adjacently disposed lighting unitstructure 10 by means, for example, of bolts 26 (FIG. 4).

The outer edges constituted by the upstanding ribs 25 of the side flangeportions 23 of each end wall I] are disposed in a substantially verticalplane so that the side flange portions 23 are of progressivelyincreasing breadth in an upward direction, the side flange portions 23of each end wall 11 being, in the preferred embodiment of the inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawings, of notched form, as indicatedby the reference numeral 27, at the upper portions thereof remote fromthe inner wall portion 21. A substantially vertical closure plate 28 issecured to the side flange portions 23 of each end wall 11 at thenotched portions 27 thereof, the lower edge 29 of the plate 28 beingsecured in a substantially air-tight manner to the inner wall portion21, as shown most clearly in FIG. 4. Furthermore, in each structure 10,a substantially horizontal closure plate 30 is secured, in asubstantially airtight manner, partially to the side flange portions 23,at the notched portions 27 thereof, of each end wall 11 and partially tothe side flange portions 23, at the notched portions 27 thereof, of theadjacent end wall 11 of the adjacent lighting unit structure I0. Thesesubstantially air-tight securements between the plate 30 and the sidewall flanges 23 are effected between downwardly inclined end portions 31of the plate 30 and the side flange portions 23. Each plate 30 alsopresents upstanding lateral flange portions 32 which, as shown in FIG.4, are disposed in substantially air-tight abutting contact with theplates 28 of adjacent end walls 11 of the adjacent lighting unitstructures 10.

Each end portion of the lens 19 is disposed through a correspondinglyformed opening in the inner wall portion 21 of the appropriate end wall11, the lens 19 being mounted on the lower edge 29 of the plate 28 whichis secured to said inner wall portion 21.

An air chamber which is bounded by an air boot is constituted by thespace between adjacent end walls 11 of adjacent lighting unit structures10, i.e. by, with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated inthe drawings, the space bounded by the plate 30 and the parts of theinner wall portions 21 and the side flange portions 23 of the adjacentend walls 11 which are disposed below the plate 30, the air boot thuscomprising, in this preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings,the plate 30 and said parts of the inner wall portions 21 and of theside flange portions 23. Each end wall 11 is so formed that aventilation air inlet to this air chamber is provided, this inlet beingconstituted, in the preferred embodi ment illustrated in the drawings,by an opening 33 fomied in each plate 30. Thus, the ventilation airinlet is provided in the air boot for the admission of ventilation airto the air chamber. Ducting 34 is operatively connected to the openings33 in some or all of the plates 30, the ducting 34 serving to convey airhaving the desired temperature and humidity to the appropriate airchambers from a convenient source (not shown) thereof. In any particularinstallation, if certain of the air chambers are not required theclosure plates 30 bounding these chambers may be omitted, in which casethese chambers serve as air return passages.

The purpose of the notched portions 27 in the side flange portions 23 ofthe end walls ii, and of the associated closure plates 28 and 30, is topennit increased flexibility in the manner in which the lighting unitstructures may be used. Thus, for example, where it is desired to usethe structures 10 in such a manner that the members 12 thereof aredisposed substantially at right angles to horizontal beams or girders,such as girders supporting the ceiling, and where it is required thatthe level of the upper faces of the members 12 be above the lower facesof these beams or girders, the beams or girders are disposed through thespaces bounded by the plates 28 and 30 of adjacent end walls 11. Wherebeams or girders are so disposed it is not, of course, possible for theassociated air chambers to be used, or if they are to be used analternative arrangement (not shown) to that constituted by the openings33 in the plates 30 will be required for supplying the air to thechambers.

It is to be emphasized that the above-described manner of using thelighting unit structures 10 in which beams or girders are disposedthrough the spaces bounded by the plates 28 and 30 of adjacent end wallsll is merely one example of the ways in which the structures 10 may beused where the notched portions 27 in the side flange portions 23 of theend walls 11, or notched portions of different forms, are provided.

Furthermore, it is, of course, to be understood that where notchedportions in the side flange portions 23 of each end wall 11 are notrequired, such as where the above problem resulting from the presence ofhorizontal beams or girders does not arise, the notched portions in theside flange portions 23 of each end wall ll, and the associated closureplates 28 and 30, may be omitted, and that these are not, therefore,essential features of the present invention.

The lower edge 22 of the inner wall portion 21 of each end wall 1] is sodisposed, inwardly of the outer edges constituted by the upstanding ribs25 of the side flange portions 23, that a ventilation air outlet fromthe associated air chamber is provided between the lower edge 22 and thecorresponding lower edge 22 of the adjacent end wall 11 of theadjacently disposed lighting unit structure 10. The air boot is thusprovided with a ventilation air outlet for the discharge of ventilationair from the air chamber.

A support structure comprising a plurality of interconnected beams 35constituting a grid is suspended by means of tie members 36 from, forexample, a flooring support deck, spacing members 37, one of which isshown to an enlarged scale in FIG. 2, supporting the lighting unitstructures 10 on the support structure comprising the beams 35. As shownin H6. 2, each member 37 is in the form of a plate the opposed sideedges of which are provided with grooves 38, the parts of adjacent sideflange portions 23 of adjacent end walls 11 below the upstanding ribs 25thereof being disposed within the grooves 38. The lower edge of eachmember 37 is supported on one of the beams 35 thereby to space the loweredges 22 of the inner wall portions 21 of adjacent end walls 11 ofadjacent structures 10 above outwardly directed flange portions 39 ofthe appropriate beam 35 by pre-determined distances which constituteventilation air outlet slots 40 for the flow of air from the air chamberto the room space or the like disposed therebelow. The depth of theslots 40 may be varied by using members 37 of different heights.Furthermore, the members 37 may be formed of a heat-fusible materialsuch that if these members attain a pre-determined high temperature as aresult, for example, of a fire in the room space or the like therebelow,the members 37 melt with resultant lowering of the lighting unitstructures 10 until the lower edges 22 of the inner wall portions 21enter into abutting contact with the portions 39 of the beams 35 therebyto prevent the travel of the fire upwards through the air chambers. Suchan arrangement forms the subject of my co-pending application Ser. No.006,673 filed on Jan. 29, I970.

Furthermore, the support structure constituted by the beams 35 may be inthe form of one of the support structures disclosed in my co-pendingapplication Ser. No. 874,138 filed on Nov. 6, 1969.

Heat insulation panels 41 are each mounted with the lower edge portionsthereof in supported engagement with the flange portion 39 of one of thebeams 35 and with the upper edge portion thereof in supported engagementwith the appropriate inclined flange portion 15 of the member 12 of theappropriate structure 10. The lower faces of the panels 41 arepreferably formed of a light reflecting material whereby to reflect thelight from the fluorescent lighting lamp [8 of the associated lightingelement into the room space or the like disposed therebelow.

The present invention thus provides a lighting unit structure, and anarrangement of such structures which are adjacently disposed relative toone another, in which the air boots which define the ventilation airchambers are integrally formed with the lighting unit structures andare, as a result, less complex, and hence less expensive to manufactureand install, than the above-described hitherto proposed and used formsof construction.

What 1 claim as my invention is:

l. A lighting unit structure comprising spaced end walls and a memberwhich rigidly interconnects the end walls and which is adapted tosupport at least one lamp, each end wall including an inner wall portionand side flange portions which project outwardly from the inner wallportion, the side flange portions of each end wall having outer edges,the inner wall portion of each end wall having a lower edge disposedinwardly of said outer edges of said side flanges and the inner wallportion of each end wall being inwardly and upwardly inclined from thelower edge thereof, said outer edges of said side flange portions ofeach end wall being disposed in a substantially vertical plane so thatsaid side flange portions are of progressively increasing breadth in anupward direction whereby said outer edges are adapted to be secured in asubstantially air-tight manner to the outer edges of the side flangeportions of an adjacently disposed, like lighting unit structure toprovide an air chamber between the adjacent end walls and a ventilationof air outlet between the lower edges of adjacent end walls and spacethereabove for means defining an inlet to said chamber.

2. A lighting unit structure according to claim 1, further comprising asupport structure comprising a plurality of interconnected beamsconstituting a grid, spacing members being connected one to each sideflange portion of each end wall, and each spacing member being supportedon one of said beams thereby to space the lower edge of the inner wallportion of the associated end wall above a portion of said beam by apre-detennined distance which constitutes a ventilation air outlet slot.

3. An arrangement of adjacently disposed lighting unit structures, eachstructure comprising spaced end walls, and a member which rigidlyinterconnects the end walls and which is adapted to support at least onelamp, each end wall including an inner wall portion and side flangeportions which project outwardly from the inner wall portion, the sideflange portions of each end wall having outer edges which are secured ina substantially air-tight manner to the outer edges of the side flangeportions of the adjacent end wall of the adjacent lighting unitstructure, an air chamber thereby being provided between said adjacentend walls of adjacent lighting unit structures, means providing aventilation air inlet to said air chamber, and the inner wall portion ofeach end wall having a lower edge which is so disposed inwardly of theouter edges of the side flange portions of said end wall that aventilation air outlet is provided between said lower edge and the loweredge of the inner wall portion of the adjacent end wall of the adjacentlighting unit structure.

4. An arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the inner wall portionof each end wall of each lighting unit structure is inwardly inclined inan upward direction from the lower edge thereof, the outer edges of theside flange portions of each end wall being disposed in a substantiallyvertical plane so that the side flange portions are of progressivelyincreasing breadth in an upward direction.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the side flange portionsof each end wall of each lighting unit structure are, at the upperportions thereof remote from the inner wall portion of said end wall, ofnotched form, a substantially vertical closure plate being secured tothe side flange portions at the notched portions thereof with the loweredge of said plate being secured in a substantially air-tight manner tothe inner wall portion of said end wall, and a substantially horizontalclosure plate, in which an opening constituting the ventilation airinlet is provided, being adapted to be secured in a substantiallyair-tight manner partially to said side flange portions at the notchedportions thereof, partially to the side flange portions, at the notchedportions thereof, of the adjacent end wall of the adjacent lighting unitstructure, and to the substantially vertical closure plates of adjacentend walls of the adjacent lighting unit structures 6. An arrangementaccording to claim 3, further comprising a support structure comprisinga plurality of interconnected beams constituting a grid, spacing membersbeing connected to the side flange portions of the end walls of thelighting unit structures, and being supported on said beams thereby tospace the lower edges of the inner wall portions of the end walls of thelighting unit structures above portions of the beams by pre-detennineddistances which constitute ventilation air outlet slots.

7. An arrangement of adjacently disposed lighting unit structures, eachstructure being adapted to support at least one lamp and comprisingspaced end walls and a member interconnecting the end walls, each endwall including an inner wall portion and side flange portions whichproject outwardly from the inner wall portion, the side flange portionsof each end wall having outer edges which are secured in a substantiallyairtight manner to the outer edges of the side flange portions of theadjacent end wall of the adjacent lighting unit structure, therebydefining an air chamber bounded by said adjacent end walls and saidflange portions of said adjacent lighting unit structures, and meansdefining a ventilation air inlet to said chamber and means defining aventilation air outlet from said chamber.

1. A lighting unit structure comprising spaced end walls and a memberwhich rigidly interconnects the end walls and which is adapted tosupport at least one lamp, each end wall including an inner wall portionand side flange portions which project outwardly from the inner wallportion, the side flange portions of each end wall having outer edges,the inner wall portion of each end wall having a lower edge disposedinwardly of said outer edges of said side flanges and the inner wallportion of each end wall being inwardly and upwardly inclined from thelower edge thereof, said outer edges of said side flange portions ofeach end wall being disposed in a substantially vertical plane so thatsaid side flange portions are of progressively increasing breadth in anupward direction whereby said outer edges are adapted to be secured in asubstantially air-tight manner to the outer edges of the side flangeportions of an adjacently disposed, like lighting unit structure toprovide an air chamber between the adjacent end walls and a ventilationof air outlet between the lower edges of adjacent end walls and spacethereabove for means defining an inlet to said chamber.
 2. A lightingunit structure according to claim 1, further comprising a supportstructure comprising a plurality of interconnected beams constituting agrid, spacing members being connected one to each side flange portion ofeach end wall, and each spacing member being supported on one of saidbeams thereby to space the lower edge of the inner wall portion of theassociated end wall above a portion of said beam by a pre-determineddistance which constitutes a ventilation air outlet slot.
 3. Anarrangement of adjacently disposed lighting unit structures, eachstructure comprising spaced end walls, and a member which rigidlyinterconnects the end walls and which is adapted to support at least onelamp, each end wall including an inner wall portion and side flangeportions which project outwardly from the inner wall portion, the sideflange portions of each end wall having outer edges which are secured ina substantially air-tight manner to the outer edges of the side flangeportions of the adjacent end wall of the adjacent lighting unitstructure, an air chamber thereby being provided between said adjacentend walls of adjacent lighting unit structures, means providing aventilation air inlet to said air chamber, and the inner wall portion ofeach end wall having a lower edge which is so disposed inwardly of theouter edges of the side flange portions of said end wall that aventilation air outlet is provided between said lower edge and the loweredge of the inner wall portion of the adjacent end wall of the adjacentlighting unit structure.
 4. An arrangement according to claim 3, whereinthe inner wall portion of each end wall of each lighting unit structureis inwardly inclined in an upward direction from the lower edge thereof,the outer edges of the side flange portions of each end wall beingdisposed in a substantially vertical plane so that the side flangeportions are of progressively increasing breadth in an upward direction.5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the side flange portionsof each end wall of each lighting unit structure are, at the upperPortions thereof remote from the inner wall portion of said end wall, ofnotched form, a substantially vertical closure plate being secured tothe side flange portions at the notched portions thereof with the loweredge of said plate being secured in a substantially air-tight manner tothe inner wall portion of said end wall, and a substantially horizontalclosure plate, in which an opening constituting the ventilation airinlet is provided, being adapted to be secured in a substantiallyair-tight manner partially to said side flange portions at the notchedportions thereof, partially to the side flange portions, at the notchedportions thereof, of the adjacent end wall of the adjacent lighting unitstructure, and to the substantially vertical closure plates of adjacentend walls of the adjacent lighting unit structures.
 6. An arrangementaccording to claim 3, further comprising a support structure comprisinga plurality of interconnected beams constituting a grid, spacing membersbeing connected to the side flange portions of the end walls of thelighting unit structures, and being supported on said beams thereby tospace the lower edges of the inner wall portions of the end walls of thelighting unit structures above portions of the beams by pre-determineddistances which constitute ventilation air outlet slots.
 7. Anarrangement of adjacently disposed lighting unit structures, eachstructure being adapted to support at least one lamp and comprisingspaced end walls and a member interconnecting the end walls, each endwall including an inner wall portion and side flange portions whichproject outwardly from the inner wall portion, the side flange portionsof each end wall having outer edges which are secured in a substantiallyairtight manner to the outer edges of the side flange portions of theadjacent end wall of the adjacent lighting unit structure, therebydefining an air chamber bounded by said adjacent end walls and saidflange portions of said adjacent lighting unit structures, and meansdefining a ventilation air inlet to said chamber and means defining aventilation air outlet from said chamber.